Nentir Vale

Orcus

Description:

Orcus has typically been described as having the head and legs of a goat, although with ram-like horns, a bloated body, bat-like wings, and a long tail. His description often refers to him appearing as an archetypical demon, in fact, when commoners think of demons, they most likely think of some terrible picture of Orcus that they once saw somewhere.

Orcus cares for nothing save himself — not even for his devotees and undead servants — and focuses only on spreading misery and evil. One of his most identifiable symbols is his powerful artifact, the Wand of Orcus, a skull-topped wand with the power to slay any living being.

Bio:

Cult of Orcus:
Unlike many of the other demon lords of the Abyss, Orcus has a widespread cult on the Material Plane. The cult of Orcus is mainly composed of twisted creatures with a morbid fascination with the undead, such as necromancers, as well as creatures deliberately seeking the path to undeath, such as would-be liches and vampires. They often wear macabre costumes decorated with bones and skulls; blood and skulls feature prominently in imagery devoted to him.
Cultists often spread disease as a way to inflict suffering on the living, something Orcus enjoys immensely.

Dogma:
Promise your soul to Orcus, eat of his flesh and drink of his blood, and through him you will gain life everlasting. Mercy is a luxury that none are worthy of; suffering and torment are the fuel that will empower Orcus’ ascent. The worshippers of Orcus will overwhelm the world in a tide of undeath and even the gods will perish.

Clergy:
Clerics of Orcus are in charge of promoting necromancy, pain, torture, undeath, and the destruction of all that is good. They pray for spells at midnight. Their colors are red and black, although bone white is often used as decoration. Most of his faithful are called Skulls, while more powerful members are called Skull Lords. Particularly powerful Skull Lords may gain yet more prestige by traveling to Thanatos and gaining control over one of the numerous roving hordes of undead, becoming a Skull King or Skull Queen.

The Wand of Orcus:
A powerful epic artifact, This skull-tipped wand’s primary ability is to slay almost any living creature it touches.